The invention relates generally to wireless communications and, more particularly, to systems and methods for wireless communications in a welding system.
Welding is a process that has increasingly become utilized in various industries and applications. Such processes may be automated in certain contexts, although a large number of applications continue to exist for manual welding operations. In both cases, such welding operations rely on communication between a variety of types of equipment (e.g., devices) to ensure that welding operations are performed properly.
Certain welding systems may include devices that communicate with each other using wired communication, while other welding systems may include devices that communicate with each other using wireless communication. A wireless communication system may utilize a radio module coupled to an antenna to receive or transmit electromagnetic waves for wireless communication. Regulations may specify various characteristics of wireless communication systems to reduce electromagnetic interference among multiple wireless communication systems. However, regulations may specify minimum distances between antennas of separate wireless communication systems, thereby affecting the geometry of enclosures for the wireless communication systems. Additionally, some antennas mounted to enclosures may be relatively bulky or obtrusive, and antennas mounted to enclosures may restrict the effective range or directionality of wireless communication.